Refrigerating-car.



Patented Jan. l, mu.

N.- BOSMANN. R'EFRIGEBATING CAB. (Application filed June 22, 1899 7 u w w. n h. e m w s 7 3 'IIHE NORRIS PETERS co, mom-Luna, WASHINGTON n. cy

,389. Patented m. I, I90l. N. BUSMANN.

REFRIGERAITING GAR.

(Application filed June 22, 1899.)

3 Sheets-$heet 2.

("mod-e1.

No. 665,389. Patented Jan. I901.

. N. BUSMANN.

REFRIGERATING CAR.

(Application filed June 22, 1899.) Modem 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

TH: Nonms PEIERS co, Pno'ru'u'mo" WASHINGTON. :mc.

NITE STATES FFICE.

ATENT NICOLAS BOSMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE PRODUCE GOLD AIR COMPANY, OF WEST VIRGINIA.

REFRIGERATING- -CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,389, dated January 1, 1901. Application filed June 22,1899. Serial No. 721,450. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICOLAS BOSMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating-Cars, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

[0 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a car having my improved refrigerating apparatus, section being made through the refrigerating and fan chambers. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section at the line 2 2 on Fig. 1.

line 3 3 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detail top plan of the cable-inclosing. sheath. Fig. 5 is a de tail side elevation of the pivot-bearing of the fan-shaft. Fig. 6 is a section at a line 6 6 on Fig. 5. Fig. 7 isan end elevation of a yielding bearing of the fan-shaft. Fig. 8 is a detail section at the line 8 8 on Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail section at the line 9 9 on Fig. 1.

A is the car-body.

B is the car-axle occupying the usual position in the truck, which is not fully shown.

The car-body is partitioned to form the storage-chamber D, occupying the middle portion of its length, and the two refrigeratingchambers E E toward the ends of the car and occupying the upper part, while beneath each of these refrigerating-chambers there is located a fan-chamber O, which communicates with the storage-chamber through a narrow 'rift in the partition. E said rift extending along the floor and being filled with a wovenwire screen 0, which permits the passage of air from the storage-chamber back to the fanchamber, while otherwise cutting off commu nication between the two chambers. The refrigerating-chamber has the customary icerack E, partitioning it into an upper portion, which may be called the ice-box, the lower portion E which is the Water-chamber, although in some modes of use the water may be allowed to occupy the entire chamber, which I describe indifferently the refrigerating-chamber or ice-chamber. Drainage is provided for overflow from this chamber by means or two pipes L and L, the former being designed to maintain the water Fig- 3 is a vertical section at they at a certain and uniform height lower than the ice-rack and the other being designed to maintain the water at a certain level above the ice-rack and below the top of the chamber. The pipe L has the valve Z, which may be closed to prevent it from operating as the drain or overflow pipe, when the pipe L is relied upon to permit overflow from the higher level, to which the water will be permitted to stand when the chamber is being used without ice on the rack. It will be noticed that both the drain-pipes L and L are in the form of a gooseneck, whose intakemouth is very near the bottom of the chamber, the bend being at the point at which it is desired to maintain the waterlevel by means of such pipes. The effect of this construction is that as the water drips from the ice, when ice is being employed in the cham- 7o ber, this water being the coldest that the chamber contains and being that which it is desired to retain in the chamber, a corre sponding quantity of water will leave the bottom of the chamber, entering the overflowpipe at its intake-mouth, and like corresponding quantity will flow over the bend of the pipe and escape, the pipe being of such size relatively to the amount of Water accumulating by liquefaction that the overflow does not at any time fill the down-limb of the overflow-pipe, and so does not cause siphoning. The water in the chamber is thus main tained at the desired height by escape at the bottom, such escape occurring before the water dripping from the ice has time to descend to the bottom, as it might and would do in a short time. Thus the water which escapes at the bottom is usually the warmest water which the chamber contains.

The operation of the devices to produce circulation of air from the refrigerating-chambers at the opposite ends of the car into the storage-chamber, which occupies the middle portion, is identical at the two ends and the description will be made in respect to the apparatus at one end.

I employ a positive air-circulating device, which is preferably a rotary fan, whose intake communicates with the storage-chamber, 10o deriving air from the bottom of the latter, as hereinafter more particularly described, and

discharging by way of pipes, which extend which is most remotefrom the refrigerating through the water-receptacle in the lower part of the refrigerating-chamber and discharge into the middle and upper part of the storagechamber,as hereinafter specifically described. For convenience the fan is located in a chamber C, situated underneath the refrigeratingchamber and at one end or side of the storage-chamber.

G is the case of the fan, which is shown fixedly mounted upon the floor of the car. The fan is made with direct radial blades G G, and the case has an upward-discharge funnel G whose side lines are both tangents to the circumference of the case, so that the fan revolving in either direction induces by centrifugal action an air-blast discharging outward through such funnel, the air-intake being at the center, as is customary. To the funnel-mouth of the fan there is connected.

the discharge-pipe g, which extends through the ceiling of the fan-chamber, which is the floor of the refrigerating or ice chamber E, and terminates in a four-way head 9. the four branches of the head 9 there are extended four systems of pipes g g g and g each of which occupies a transverse vertical section of the lower or water-containing compartment E of the refrigerating-chamber, the pipes zigzagging back and forth in a vertical plane to within a short distance-two or three inchesof the underside of the ice-rack E zontally and extends in the side wall of the car past the partition E which separates the refrigerating-chamber from the storage-chamher, and at a short distance beyond that partition terminates in a register-box 9 located in the side of the car and opening through a suitable grated covering in the storagechamber about one-third of the height of the car above the level of the fioor. A second pipe, as 9 extends similarly in the opposite side wall of the car past the partition E farther than the pipe g and terminates similarly in a register box opening into the storage-chamber at the same height as the one upon the opposite side. A third pipe 9 extends up through the ceiling and in the latter over the partition E and on in the ceiling of the storage-chamber to a point a short distance farther than the register of the pipe g and terminatesin a similar register located in the ceilingand communicatingdownwardly with the floor and storage-chamber through the grated covering. The fourth pipe 9 eX- tends downward into the floor and in the latter past the partition E and thence on, still in the fioor, under the storage-chamber to a little greater distance than the pipe 9 in the ceiling and terminates in a similar register-box opening at the floor and provided with a suitable grated covering. Preferably the pipes g and g extend and terminate in the ceiling and floor, respectively, each a little distance from the middle of the width of the car. Preferably the cold-air register,

From

One of these pipes, as 9 then turns horichamber, being in the arrangement above described the floor-register, is not located beyond the middle of the length of the car, so that between the two corresponding registers, which terminate the longest pipes leading from the two opposite refrigeratingchambers, there is an interval equal at least to the width of the customary side doors of the car, which thus stand opposite such interval-that is, there is no register in direct line between the opposite side doors. Preferably, also, the relative arrangement of the ceiling and floor registers from the two opposite refrigerating-chambers is reversed that is to say, the floor-register from one end is at thesame side of the middle longitudinal line of the car as the ceiling-register from the other end. This disposition of the pipes and registers insures distribution of the cold air to all points of the car, the registers being distributed both as to the length and as to the width of the car and as to the sides, ceiling, and floor, so that material at all points in the storage-chamber will be exposed substantially to the same degree of cooling.

For the purpose of driving the fan I design to utilize the car-axles and take power therefrom. For this purpose the shaft G2 of the fan carries a pulley G and the car-axle B carries a pulley B, the two pulleys being in the same vertical longitudinal planethat is, when the car stands on a straight track-so that the axle stands crosswise of the length of the car. Acable or beltHextends around the two pulleys, communicating power from the pulley on the axle to the pulley on the fan-shaft, the floor of the car being provided with suitable apertures to permit the passage of the cable therethrough. In order to accommodate the movement of the car with respect to the truck, due to the jolting side swaying and angular change of the axle when the car passes around curves, I have adopted the following construction, viz: First, for the purpose of accommodating the vertical movement of the car I mount the journal-box G of the shaft G which is nearest the fan-case and beyond the same, so that the shaft may oscillate in a vertical plane, and at the opposite end I mount pivotally the journal-box G which is adjacent the pulley G upon a yielding support, so that it may rise and fall,

as necessary to compensate for the vertical movement of the car with respect to the axle. The pivot of the journal-box G is shown at G the box having a fiat. lug 9 for a stem which is pivoted between two fiat lugs G G of the standard G The yielding support of the journal-box G is provided by mounting said journal-box in upstanding guidestandards G G of the base G suitable splines g 9 and grooves g 9 being provided at the guideways between the two parts, and interposing a coiled spring G under the box between the guide-standards. The movement of the shaft G for which provision is position and upward to thesameii Such stop may be provided either ontthe g iide-standards G or adjacent the pi'vot G In the latter place it consists 3 of a bolt G set through a lug G, which projedts from the standard or base G said bolt extending and being adjustable through the lug, so as to encounter theunder side of the box G beyond the pivot-bolt G The cable H, below the floor of the car, is protected by a sheath J. This sheath is made of sheet metal and encompasses both plies of the cable from the fioorof the car down to and a little past the """middle-of the pulley B.

At the upper part the sheath is flattened, so that while encompassing the two plies of the cable it allows them very little lateral play. At the lower end, toward the center of the pulley, it is similarly flattened, so that it nearly touches the sides of the web of the latter; but from this point it expands transversely-that is, in radial planes in respect to the pulleyreaching its greatest expami r in the semicircle corresponding witl'rt e c cumference of the pulley, and then beingiareduced from that point gradually upward to'tlie upper fiat portion, where it approximates the cable, as described. This expansion of the sheath at J adapts it to accommodate the pulley in the rocking movement which the car will somebetween the two plies of the cable, the intenand the main shaftso that the sheath may tion being to suspend the sheath by this bolt substantially at a' point in the vertical line connecting the two shafts-that is, the axle swivel about this point of suspension, accommodating itself thus to the change of position of the axle with respect to the car when passing around curves. In such movement the .cable will'communicate the necessary swiveling movement to the sheath, because the sheath fits the cablemucb -,rnore,' closely at the upper end next t6, the car-bottom than it does the pulley on the axle at the lower end. This swivel connection of the sheath to the car is preferably made very loose, so that the sheath may not only swivel about the bolt, but also may be free to swing in every direction, and it may even be so free that it may slide as well as swing on the bolt, thus accommodating the lateral and longitudinal swaying and oscillating movement of the car and preventing such movement from carrying the sheath forcibly against the sides or periphery of the pulley on the axle. The connection therefore of the sheath at its suspending-bolt is virtually a universal joint,

permitting free movement in every direction. This is best accomplished by making the opening through the bridge considerably larger in diameter than the bolt and lodging wide washers j j on the bolt above and below the bridge, although the washer above the bridge may be dispensed with.

In order to prevent the cable from escaping from the axle-pulley in cases of the extreme jolting of the car up and down, causing the cable to drop out of the groove of the pulley, I provide a trough K, which encompasses the lower half of the pulley and is loosely suspended from the lower edge of the sheath J, lapping outside the latter and being connected by bolts it at opposite sides. This sheath, while it does not normally come into contact with the sides or periphery of the pulley, fits it so nearly that there is not room for the cable to escape between the pulley and the sides of the sheath, and when the jolting of the car causes the cable to drop, so that it might but for prevention be swung aside and escape the groove, it is instead merely lodged in the trough and kept in position, so that at the reaction it is lifted again into the pulley-groove. The pulley B is of of course made in two parts and adapted thereby to to be clamped onto the car-axle, as clearly shown in the drawings.

For convenience of keeping the journals of the fan-shaft oiled without the necessity of obtaining access to thefan-chamber I provide oil-ducts M M, leading to the journal-boxes from any convenient point outside the car.

Ventilators N N are provided atthe top of the storage-chamber to permit the escape of warm foulair, which will otherwise accumulate to some extent. This may be controlled by dampers in any familiar manner, and the loss of air through them may be made good through the unavoidable crevices about the doors and other openings of the car, neither the entrance of air through these crevices nor escape through the ventilators interfering materially with the main method of circulation described, consisting in the forced move- .ment of the air in circuit through the storage- From the upper part of one ice-chamber to theother I extend a pipe F through the up per part of the storage-chamber D; The effect of this communication is to equalize the temperature of the two ice-chambers, and this is greatly assisted by the wash of the water in the two chambers, caused by the movement and stoppage of the car, the water acting somewhat as a piston to drive the air. At the middle part of the length of the pipe F, I perforate it for some distance to afford communication with the storage-chamber. By this means the wash of the water in the ice-chambers is utilized to cause s me circulation back and forth ac-tween the ice-chambers on one hand and the storage-chamber on the other.

By the term fan-chamber or chamber containing the air-circulator as employed in this specification and the claims I intend to denote the room in which the fan or other air-circulator is situated and not merely the case or fixed element of the fan itself, without which the moving element would be unable to produce any forcible movement of air through the air-conduit pipes.

I claim- 1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a storage-chamber, a fan-chain her, a refrigerating or ice chamber, a fan in the fan-chamber, and air-pipes leading from the discharge thereof extending through the refrigerating-chamber without communication with the latter and discharging into the storage-chamber at points which are distributed with respect to the length and also with respect to the breadth of said storage-chamben commun cation being provided from the bottom of tne storagechamber with the fan-chamber; whereby the fan produces a forced circulation of air from the fan-chamber by way of the pipes exposed in the refrigerating-chamber, to the storage-chamber, and thence back into the fanchamber.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a storage chamber, a refrigerating chamber having a cold-water receptacle in the lower part, an air-circulator and a system of aircirculating pipes leading from the discharge thereof I and extending in convolutions through the water of the refrigerating-chamber, the air-circulator having air-intake communication with, and deriving its supply of air through an opening at the bottom part of,

the storage-chamber. 3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a storage chamber, a refrigerating chamber having an overflow for the water of liquefaction, which overflow-point is at a distance from the bottom of the refrigerating-chamber, wherebythere is provided at'the bottom of said chamber a receptacle in which water is accumulated to the overflow-point; an airci-rculator and a system of air-pipes, leading from the discharge thereof and extending through the water of the refrigerating-chamber without communication therewith, the

air-circulator having intake communication with and deriving its supply of air through an opening at the lower part of, the storagechamber.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, a chamber to be cooled, a refrigerating or ice chamber, and a space for the accumulation of water; a conduit for taking off the overflow, arranged with its receiving end at the lowermost part of the water-space, and its overflow-point above its receiving-mouth, whereby a depth of water is maintained and the waste water is taken from the bottom of the water-space, in combination with a system of air-circulating pipes extending through the water in such chamber above the receiving-mouth of the overflow-pipe and below the overflow-level, and suitable means for circulating air through such pipes and discharging it into the chamber to be cooled.

5. In arefrigeratiug apparatus,' chamber to be cooled; a refrigerating or i e chamber; and a space for the accumulation of water; a conduit for taking off the overflow, arranged with its receiving end at the lowermost part of the water-space, and its overflow-point above its receiving-mouth, whereby a depth of water is maintained and the waste water is taken from the bottom of the water-space; in combination with a system of air-refrigerating pipes extending through the water in such chamber above the level of the receiving-mouth of the overflow-pipe and below the overflow-level; and an air-circulator for circulating air through such pipes and discharging it into the chamber to be cooled, such aircirculator having its air-intake communicating with and deriving its air-supply through an opening in the bottom part of the chamber to be cooled.

6. A refrigerating-car, comprising a storage-chamber and a refrigerating-chamber, arranged to contain a cooling liquid, a pipe leading from the upper part of the refrigeratingchamber above the liquid-level thereof and extending substantially without an opening to the upper part of the storage-chain her, and there provided with restricted discharge; whereby the movement, of the water in the refrigerating-chamber, due to movement or stoppage of the car, tends to force a change of air between the storage-chamber and the refrigerating-chamber.

7. Arefrigerating-car comprisingin combination with a storage-chamber and an icechamber arranged with a water-circulator at the lower part, and an air-conduit leading from the refrigerating-chamber, above the water-level, and extending without opening to the upper part of the storage-chain her and there provided with a discharge-opening into the storage-chamber, such opening having a perforated screen to restrict the movement of air into and out of the conduit; whereby the water in the refrigerating-chamber operates as a piston to force air back and forth between the two chambers as the equilibrium of the water is disturbed by the irregular movement of the car.

8. In a refrigerating-car, in combination with a storage-chamber which occupies the middle portion of the length, and refrigerating or ice chambers at opposite end portions of the same, a conduit which connects the refrigerating-chambers extending from the upper part of one of them through the upper part of the storage-chamber and into the upper part of the other refrigerating-chamber, such conduit being perforated at an intermediate portion of its length, within the storage-chamber and at the upper part thereof, such perforation constituting the only comchamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, Illinois, this 17th day of June, 1899.

NICOLAS BOSMANN.

In presence of- CHAS. S. BURTON, SAMUEL FOIST. 

